Civil Fraud and Investigations

The cost of fraud to businesses and individuals runs into billions of pounds each ear. The international nature of commerce and increased reliance on electronic communications means that there has been a sharp increase in the number and value of fraud claims. Specialist lawyers are needed now more than ever to help find, preserve and recover stolen money and assets around the world.

Our established and highly experienced team of specialist civil fraud lawyers which act for both the victims of fraud and the defendants to civil fraud proceedings. Our Partners are ranked both as a team and individually in the legal directories, Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.

When fraud is suspected or discovered, the first steps are critical. At short notice, we can assemble a multi-disciplinary team to advise on all aspects, regardless of the scale and reach of the issue, providing swift strategic and tactical advice. We have wide experience in conducting internal investigations where the fraud has been perpetrated by someone within your company. For fraud matters that have a criminal aspect, we are uniquely placed to draw upon the expertise of our second-to-none criminal fraud team.

For victims of fraud, we have experience of finding, preserving and recovering stolen money and assets around the world and have regularly advised on seeking and obtaining freezing injunctions to preserve such assets.

For defendants who are accused of fraud, we have defended allegations on some of the biggest fraud cases to date involving freezing (and other) injunctions. We often work alongside our Criminal and Employment departments in matters that involve such implications.

We have acted on high profile and important recent fraud cases including:

• obtaining the only judgment in favour of a member of the Ablyazov family in the wide-ranging and on-going litigation brought by BTA Bank;
• acting for the liquidator of a Cayman company which was appointed to invest pension money in relation to a pension scheme being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office; and
• acting for an African government trying to recover assets stolen by a former head of state.

For more information, read our frequently asked questions on civil fraud vs criminal fraud disputes and details regarding supervising solicitors.